Which Consciousness Do Bodily, Verbal, and Mental Actions Respectively Correspond To?

Carefully observe the actions of body, speech, and mind to discern which consciousness they truly accord with, and which consciousness's activities they primarily manifest. Of course, all bodily, verbal, and mental actions cannot be separated from the manas, nor from the mind consciousness, but there are still some differences among them. Bodily action is the activity of the six consciousnesses—this surface phenomenon is already quite obvious—although behind it there is the manas's directing role and its accompanying role, and even more, the function of the eighth consciousness.

Verbal action is mainly the activity of the mind consciousness, with the mind consciousness as the principal agent. Of course, it also involves the cooperation of the five sense consciousnesses, as well as the manas's directing role and accompanying role, and even more, the function of the eighth consciousness.

As for mental action, it is dominated by the mental activities of the manas, primarily manifesting the manas's thoughts and disposition. Although the mind consciousness also plays a role, and the eighth consciousness plays a role as well, mental action absolutely and completely accords with the manas—it is the manas's ideas and views, even though the mind consciousness has a supervising and regulating function.